


Windows

by Skeren



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003)
Genre: Are COLD, Blizzards & Snowstorms, Edward is an idiot, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-30
Updated: 2016-01-30
Packaged: 2018-05-17 04:13:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5853739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skeren/pseuds/Skeren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Edward didn’t want to forget his mother, but a blizzard was hardly the right place to think about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Windows

**Author's Note:**

> Written April of 2006.

He peered after the blond as he darted out the door, the smile the youth had had on his face looking somewhat brittle as he had turned from his brother. Frowning as he heard the door close with a decisive click, he moved over to Gracia and ran his fingers over her shoulder, getting her attention before dropping a kiss on her cheek and moving out the door after the teen, collecting the red coat on the way. This was no weather for someone to be out in by themselves, let alone without a coat, and the snow falling from the sky only seemed to attest to that. He was certain that Gracia could hold the fort.

He had apparently underestimated how quickly the boy could move though. For all his skills, tracking someone through snowfall wasn’t as easy as he’d thought it would be, and by the time he found Edward _he_ was chilled through. He could only imagine how the teen felt by this point, and he slipped the red coat around drooped shoulders as soon as he found the blond, who had been standing near a shop, peering into the darkened window display. 

“Hey, what are you doing way out here? I know things get a little hectic sometimes, but that’s no reason to freeze yourself.” Maes gentled the chiding words when sad gold eyes turned back to peer at him. “You could have at least grabbed your coat.”

Eyeing him for a moment longer, the teen turned his gaze back to look through the glass. “I didn’t realize it was snowing again.”

Well, that wasn’t good. From what he could tell, the boy didn’t even seem to notice he was shivering. One hand moving to rest on the teen’s right shoulder to hold the coat in place, he rubbed at the chilled skin of the left. “It’s been snowing for a while Ed, let’s just get you back inside. Maybe you can even tell me what’s bothering you.”

“No… I just needed to be away from that for a bit. I don’t want to get Al all worried so I’ll just stay out here for now, okay?” This time, he didn’t even bother to look back at the man that had come to get him, automail fingers dropping down from where they’d been resting against the glass. 

“No, not okay. You’re turning blue Ed, that means we need to get you back inside.” When he tugged the blond away from the window there was no resistance, just a look that closely resembled a pout. “Geeze, how could you not notice you were this cold?”

“I’ve been thinking.” The words were quiet, and Edward finally shrugged into the coat properly, gaze on the ground as he folded his arms together in front of himself. 

“Those must be some deep thoughts if you didn’t even notice that you were turning blue and trying to imitate a rattle.” When the boy stepped out of his hold, he didn’t try to stop him, letting him move a few steps away as he gave him a worried look.

“Yeah, I guess they were.” 

Neither seemed to have anything to say to that, Maes because he knew prying would only make the boy lock up and ignore him, and Edward just because he wasn’t ready to talk yet. 

“I only visit so much because Al likes you guys, you know that right?”

“Actually, I didn’t know that. Care to tell me why?” 

When there was silence, Maes rested his hands on the boy’s shoulders again, and it seemed to finally get him talking. “It’s too easy to just settle in around your family… I don’t want to forget anymore.”

“Of?”

“Of any of it.”

“Ed. It’s okay if your memories are starting to fade a bit, time does that.”

The sound of cracking wood made the man twitch, but he figured he’d just have to get it repaired later. “It’s not okay! I can’t remember what her cookies taste like anymore, or what her hair smelled like, or how she sounded when she laughed! I don’t want to forget her!” He quieted, shaking his head roughly. “I don’t want to replace her either.”

Well, that certainly explained why he’d been so twitchy every time Gracia had spoken to him lately. “Ed.” When that didn’t get the boy to actually look at him, he spoke a little more forcefully. “Edward.” Better, now he had his attention instead of it being directed into the past. “You aren’t going to replace her.”

“But-”

“No.” He made sure to keep his tone gentle. “Just trust me Ed, you can’t replace her. She’s always going to be the woman who raised you, even if you forget a few details along the way.”

“That’s… Hughes. I can’t- I mean, I look at Winry, and I _know_ she can’t remember anything, not really. I don’t want to just _forget_.”

“You’re allowed to let go Ed. You won’t forget the really important things. If you move on, I’m pretty sure she won’t blame you. She’d just want you to be happy. That’s what a good parent does.”

Making a frustrated noise, the blond released his splintering hold on the gate and twisted around, looking more depressed than angry by a good amount. “I’ve already forgotten enough about her though. If I can forget her, then what’s to stop me from forgetting what Al really looks like? I want to see him smile again someday too.”

“Ed, you will. I’ve seen how hard you’ve been working to get him back to normal. You’ll figure it out. Now, can we get you inside before you freeze to the spot?” 

The blond teen blinked, seeming to finally _finally_ register that they were outside in the snow, and that the storm around them didn’t look like it was easing up all that much. “Yeah, it is kinda cold out here isn’t it?”

There was only a moment between when the words were said and when they registered, and Maes immediately flung the gate open and steered the blond off down the path. “Alright you, as soon as we’re sure that you aren’t going to have hypothermia, you and I are going to have a nice long talk, hear me?”

Blinking dazedly as the heat from inside hit them, Edward only got out a quiet ‘okay’ before there was a flurry of concerned voices, and the pair were swept fully back under the attentions of their family.


End file.
